For I was a stranger and you welcomed me

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.

Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'

And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'' --Matthew 25:31-40

Beginning with Ash Wednesday, St. Thomas will host several powerful Lenten events, each of which speak to the heart of our call to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to be both the giver and the recipient of spiritual nourishment.

Lent is a time of reflection and of hunger. Some of us pare back by "giving up" sweets, bread, eating between meals, and other food items. Our small sacrifices often cause our focus to shift to the great sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us and recognize new opportunities to "be Christ" by channeling our own hunger pangs to helping alieviate the hunger of those who struggle every day of the year.

Hunger comes in many forms, including, of course, literal hunger. But, one type of hunger experienced by so many is the hunger for a connection, to be acknowledged, to have friendship, to break through the barriers of loneliness, to feel a sense of belonging.

This Lent we have multiple opportunities to help "feed" each other, at home, school, work and in the community. St. Thomas can replenish your hunger too. Come and See.

Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels. Hebrews 13:2

I have been searching far and wide for this particular bit of scripture. I can't recall when I first heard it, but it stayed with me, sans the scriptural address. So, I Googled these words: Angels + Hospitality. Among the list of hits was http://bible.cc/, a very cool resource of verses from nearly every version of the Bible and in more languages than I have time to count. Check it out. And, digging deeper into the Google results list I found a new resource for daily inspiration: http://www.upperroom.org/daily/?m=200708. While this is a Christian, (not Catholic) site, it follows the common lectionary and includes quotes from magazines and books published by Upper Room. Quite good, but I digress...

Hebrews 13:2 speaks loudly and clearly about being in the present moment--having full awareness in welcoming. When we think of the word hospitality, images of hotels and restaurants appear --with waiters eager to serve. And yet, hospitality means so much more than making someone comfortable and offering refreshment. It is far more than being greeted with a smile and a handshake, although we know these gestures communicate that our presence is welcome.

Hospitality means that regardless of familiarity, appearance, available space, invitation (or lack thereof), we must always present a welcoming face to each person we meet. Angels or not, we are all God's children, loved equally and wholly, and perhaps connected by the heavenly filament of Angelic song. Let us greet one another that way.

Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.
--Hebrews 13:2

Welcoming is one of the divine gifts of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Parish, and each of us, as members of this body share that charism. Likewise, if we are aware of the divine image in which God created us and are open to God’s movement in our lives, it is this image which reaches out to shake the hand of the person standing near us each week at the start of Mass. We use our words, our smile, our friendliness, but it is this image speaking through us: “I am so pleased we are here together this morning”. It is that image of God in us that greets each person we see throughout our day, at home, at work, and in play. God speaks through us: “It is so good to see you”. It is the voice we use when we answer the phone not knowing who is on the other end. God speaks through us: “I am here”. It is this image which seeks the face of Christ in each person we meet, and which looks into our eyes. God says: “I know you.”


Have you ever considered the impact your greeting might have on another, or how their greeting might affect you? How do we welcome guests and newcomers to our faith community? Let’s explore this together, please share your impressions and suggestions.